Jeff Brohm and Vince Marrow work some magic, and Louisville football fans get the news they've been praying for. It was reported on Jan. 1 that Cardinals star running back Isaac Brown was entering the Transfer Portal, but Hayes Fawcett and Pete Nakos just dropped a major bombshell, as the All-American running back will not enter the portal and will stay a Cardinal.
Rumors began to circulate that Brown might return after the Cardinals landed Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz. The former 4-star commit has high expectations and ranks as the 16th-best quarterback, and after he committed to Louisville, fans quickly learned that Brown followed the future Cardinal on Instagram.
And it appears with Louisville saving thousands of dollars by not pursuing Dylan Raiola or DJ Lagway, Marrow and Brohm put in the work late Sunday night to keep Brown.
NEW: Star RB Isaac Brown is staying at Louisville and will not enter the NCAA transfer portal, @Hayesfawcett3 and @petenakos report. https://t.co/pASgYgANim https://t.co/JeDPJdCfEC pic.twitter.com/4Mhzde1tux
— On3 (@On3sports) January 5, 2026
Louisville fans get the Isaac Brown news they’ve been hoping for
The Cardinals fans were crushed when Brown announced on social media that he was entering the portal. However, entering this offseason, Louisville expected to lose some key pieces, and Brown was considered one of them.
Well, Marrow worked overtime and convinced the preseason All-American to stay a Cardinal. Brown averaged 8.8 yards per carry in 2025, while rushing 884 yards and seven touchdowns. He was limited to just nine games due to injury, but in those nine games, he ran over 100 yards in six of them, including his 205-yard performance against Boston College.
In 2024, he had an even better season as he was the ACC Rookie of the Year and etched his name in numerous program record books. Brown went on to rush for 1,173 rushing yards, breaking Lamar Jackson's true freshman rushing yard record. He averaged the third highest 7.1 yards per carry, and earned a total 2,057 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in his two seasons.
Brown was ranked as the No. 15 overall player in the portal and was the No. 1 running back. 247Sports logged a 100-percent Crystal Ball prediction for him to head to Texas, but Marrow and Brohm apparently had other plans. Brown and Kienholz will now lead Louisville's offense, as Brohm will turn the focus to landing their star wide receiver.
Related: Who's coming and who's going: Louisville football 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
For all the latest recruiting news and updates for Louisville football, stay tuned.